NBA: Top 10 Players In The Western Conference
By Ti Windisch
10. Blake Griffin
It’s a testament to just how good Blake Griffin has been in the past that he made this list at all. After extensive injury problems and an ugly situation last year that saw Blake punching out a Clippers equipment manager, his stock has never really been lower.
He’s still a great player. Blake will probably only come back stronger based on this recent adversity, and his team will be one of the few able to pose a threat to the juggernaut Golden State Warriors (more on them later).
Still, the fit for Blake in Los Angeles has always been a little forced. The big three of him, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan is surely very talented, but there’s always been concerns that the fit with him and Jordan paired in a frontcourt is a little too crowded.
Neither of them are good shooters from distance–both need that area around the rim to be effective. Still, the Clippers are better with the three of them on the floor together than they are with just CP3 and Jordan, and they hope to feature them all for most of the season.
Blake’s ceiling will determine how far the Clippers can go. In a bounce-back season he could end up looking like a top five player in the West, but if injuries continue to be a problem this could be another frustrating season for the Clippers.
Next: Number Nine